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Sign of old times

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An effort by Bath residents led to the recent erection of a replica of a sign that stood on Old Brunswick Road about 75 years ago.

One of the group, Carl Williams, said on Sunday a sign stood near Mill Pond Drive until it was struck by a vehicle more than 50 years ago, damaging one of the stone support pillars. The sign was removed, and Williams does not know what became of it.

Harry C. Williams, a brick and stone mason, erected the original stone pillars on which the wooden sign stood about 75 years ago, according to his grandson, Thatcher Pinkham of Bath, who is now 86. Since it stood near a rail line, people could see the sign as they were entering Bath.

“That was the main entrance to Bath in those days,” Pinkham said, adding that his grandfather “was proud of it, because his work was out there and everybody saw it. They didn’t know who did it, but he got a pleasure out of doing it.”

Pinkham’s nephew, Mike Williams of New York, painted the new sign as a copy of the original, Carl Williams said. A book on the history of Bath includes a photo of the original sign that Mike Williams used in creating the new replica.

“I took down the one pillar that was still standing,” Carl Williams said, adding that Steve Mosher, a mason, did the stone work on two new pillars for the replacement sign.

Pinkham called the new pillars “a fine job.”

A piece of Lexan was placed over the new sign to protect it, Williams said; while it would have normally been an expensive acquisition, Coastal Glass & Mirror donated the item, he said.

The new sign, also made of wood, has been standing for about a month.

“I wanted to do it for Thatcher,” Williams said. “… It’s been in the works for probably three or four (years) … and we’re happy that we’ve got it up.”